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To the Editor:
I am a 70-year-old resident who hopes to age in place in Reading, and I support Karen Herrick’s re-election to the Select Board. She recognizes the needs that arise with aging and supports the community programs and policies urgently required to meet those needs in our town. Mind you, I am very grateful for all of the work Karen does for Reading, and the list of her accomplishments is long. But I want to call particular attention to her advocacy for Reading’s 7,000+ residents who are age 60 and over.
Karen supports tax policies that reduce the tax burden for residents, including the Senior Circuit Breaker and more. Similarly, she seeks to fund major projects in a way that does not require significant new taxes. The new Senior Center project is a case in point. Karen recognizes that Reading’s existing senior center is no longer adequate. In fact, a study commissioned by the Town almost 10 years ago determined that Reading had outgrown the Pleasant Street Center (our senior center) way back then, and research conducted last fall confirmed that as the population expands the need for a new senior center has continued to grow.
In my view, a new senior center is not just a “wouldn’t it be nice to have” type of community issue. Senior Centers play a vital role in ensuring public health. They provide social contact and community engagement, in many cases to residents who would otherwise be largely alone; these services help reduce the risk of the physical and cognitive decline often associated with isolation. Moreover, senior centers are a central source for information about social services, Medicare insurance, medical programs, transportation, elder housing and financial
support. Senior centers help those who are food insecure. Senior centers are a valuable resource if our parents become ill and suddenly need a huge array of services. And, senior centers provide a setting that lends itself well to intergenerational programming. In my opinion,
senior centers are an essential component of an inclusive community. But Reading’s programming needs have far outgrown the building at 49 Pleasant Street.
Karen is a strong advocate for a new senior/community center in Reading. Focusing on cost- conscious solutions, her goals include advocating for state funds for a new senior center. She reminds us that projects which are about to retire in Reading provide opportunities to redirect our existing tax investments. And she recommends allocating any Green Community grant applications and funds from a recent sale of Town real estate to the senior center.
Karen supports the Select Board’s pursuit of options for a new community/senior center. And, she works with the community to stay attuned to the needs of our aging population. For example, Karen regularly attends Council on Aging meetings to share updates on the Select Board’s work and she listens to the Council’s concerns. Moreover, Karen’s support helped obtain community input that led to the allocation of $900,000 of American Rescue Plan Act funds for senior programming and a new senior center feasibility study.
I support Karen Herrick’s re-election to the Select Board, and I hope that you will too.
Marilyn Shapleigh
John Carver Road
